How important is the mobo?

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mcbi4kh2

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The question isnt as dumb as it sounds, what I mean is if I get a motherboard that has the right cpu socket, graphics slot(s) etc does it really matter which actual motherboard I get or are there other differences Im unaware of?

Also, can 4gb of ram only be used with 64 bit systems or can they be used by 32 bit systems aswell?

Can 64 bit systems run all 32 bit software?

Thanks in advance all.
 
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Dunar

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Your motherboard is a very important part of your build. Pick the CPU brand (AMD & Intel), your Socket set (example: AMD=AM2, 939 ; Intel=775, 771). Each CPU and Socket set will have a Chip Set on the motherboard that will allow you to have better timings, more over clocking capabilities, SLI or Crossfire, etc... Also you will have different ranges of FBS. This will also affect which CPU you pick and are stuck with for example Intel Core 2 Duo are 800/1066/1333 FBS so you will need to find a motherboard that can use all of the FBS or at least two of them so you can possibly upgrade to the highest one later. Also the new motherboards have a PCI Express 2.0 which is more recent and will allow a little boost in your graphics card over the older PCI Express x16 motherboards.

The brand is also a major thing to pay attention too. I have had great motherboards from Abit, Asus, Gigabyte, & evga. I have had horrible motherboards that have given me nothing but problems such as MSI. So read up the reviews online from tomshardware or anandtech to see how they rate the motherboards. Also check out some of the user feedbacks on neweggs for the motherboard your interested in.

A 32bit OS can use 3gigs effectively but a 64bit OS can support up to 16GBs of RAM if I am correct. I have 8 gigs and I'm using Vista 64 and I have had no problems out of it so far. As far as I know I'm one of the few that has not experienced any problems with it. Vista is on my gaming machine and I have played Crysis, World of Warcraft, BF2, BF2142 and COD4 with no issues yet.

I hope this helps somewhat, you can read some articles here at tomshardware under the motherboard section that will go into more depth that this brief explanation
 
englandr753

englandr753

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Currently the 64bit OS supports 16g of memory but the OS supposedly supports 128 gigs but as we know there are no memory sticks that large and by the time there are these systems will be in the dumpster.

The motherboard is a very important part. You want to look for the features you need. If you dont know what you need then most likely a basic setup will be enough but if your not sure then read reviews and find out what their features are for and decide if you may need them now or later.

Not all motherboards are create equally so do comparrisons by reading reviews. I would buy a Gigabyte or Asus brand. ECS tends to be more problematic and you can see the proof when you go into Frys electronics and see how many are discounted from being returned. They are better than they were but still not a top choice.
 
1971Rhino

1971Rhino

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Without question it's an important apsect of a new build. Not just for your components, but also it's important here to align yourself with a brand so you can start dissing the others, and recommending what you bought.

I would make sure you take a look at what you got, and what need from your MoBo. I'm sure you'll find a few models that will fit. Narrow it down to a couple look for some reviews from here and other places.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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It can't be said enough, so I'll repeat it. The motherboard is critically important. Not something to skimp on, especially for the less experienced. Stick with Gigabyte, Asus, or Abit and you should have a solid foundation.

As you pick your platform AMD or Intel you'll then pick your chipset, likely AMD, Intel, or nVidia. As you look for your motherboard look for things like having enough SATA port (leave yourself some room for growth if you can). Find a motherboard that uses 100% solid capacitors (doesn't cost any more, really, and there's no excuse for a motherboard manufacturer to skimp, this affects the longevity of your motherboard).

You've already come to a place where A LOT of people can help you find the right board with the right capabilities for your budget. ...and then they'll help you overclock the **** out of your processor to get more than you paid for. Welcome to the forums.
 
Lord Gornak

Lord Gornak

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Two most overlooked important components of a PC, Motherboard and Power Supply. If you're paying less than $70.00 before rebate for either you're probably short-changing your system.
 
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mcbi4kh2

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Thanks for all the responses everyone.
I'm doing my first build and have got about a £700 ($1400) budget for the tower (primarily for gaming)
So far I have got the following on my list,
Q6600,
9800GX2,

AsusNF680SLi http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=505256

630W HiperPowerHPU-4M630
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=684703

Cooler Master CM 690 (case)

and 4gb of, as yet, undecided ram (the faq's and tutorials of ram are really long and I havent had enough time to read through them thoroughly yet)

Any suggestions, recommendations?

 
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piratepast40

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:lol: Absolutely!!!!
 
halcyon

halcyon

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That Asus board, is a cousin to the Striker Extreme I had. While I really liked my 680i Striker it didn't support the 45nm Quads...only the Wolfdales. It will support your Q6600 but you'll be FSB limited way before you would on an X38/X48. Is SLi worth that?
 
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perzy

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Eeeh, I disagree although I don't want to. (!) You CAN save a lot on the mobo. A cheap mobo usually just have less overclocking abilities. And 0,001% less speed. That's about it, so if really short on money buy a chepo.
Still, for a SERIOUS build where overclocking, longevity and general super stability is the goal buy a quality mobo. I always do.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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I see your point he's buying a pretty serious processor, albeit its at a good price right now. If he's in the market for a Quad, he's quite serious about whatever's he's gonna use it for, no? ...just seems strange to put such a processor on a bargain basement motherboard, even if you can get it to work.
 
Zorg

Zorg

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Based on posts here, it appears that the Nvidia chipsets are flaky as hell. I think SLI is overrated anyway. You can OC that Q6600 to 3.6G with a P35, you only really need an X38/x48 for the 1333 FSB CPUs.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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I wouldn't buy an SLi motherboard unless you're a serious gamer with so much $$ to burn that your monitor is running @ 1920x1200 or above and you want to game at that resolution with all the candy turned on at strong FPS.

If that's you, you're not seriously considering an economy motherboard? If that's you, you may want a 780i/790i.

OR

...you just want the best motherboard with all the enthusiast features (who knows, you may exploit some of them).

X38/48 or 780i/790i

The nVidia chipsets have some nice features. I had a 680i Striker Extreme and it almost makes the Rampage Formula I'm using now look austere.
 
kellytm3

kellytm3

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I must be one of the rare exceptions.Ive had no problems with my ASUS P5NT-Deluxe mobo,and it is the 780i chipset.My E8400 runs@3.825,FSB1700 constantly with no problems,but I do consider myself fortunate,as alot of other people whine about their boards...
 
kellytm3

kellytm3

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Im not sure about the ASUS 750i(you may or may not get lucky with it)but the EVGA FTW 750i(Ive heard)is a good board that will oc well.
 
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blu3ness

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750i has raid driver issues that prevents you setting up a raid under the presence of a SATA optical device, probably not a big deal. I'm refraining from it.

Personally I'm going with x38 chipset Gigabyte GA-X38-DS4.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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I think Dagger has that board and has a nice overclock with it. Seems like good bang for the buck.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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Very true. Wow, where'd you find this thread though...my post is from 6 years ago. Lol.
 
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